By Violet Nowak, Intern
In tech PR, especially B2B, it can be easy to forget the human element — but that’s why so many of us went into this field in the first place. It’s vital to learn the ins and outs of our clients’ products, whether it be telecoms, semiconductors, cybersecurity or something else entirely. Equally important, though, is to build and maintain relationships with the clients, coworkers and journalists we work with.
My favorite part of my internship was participating in a story-mining workshop with a new client. Working out of Boston, most of my colleagues are based on the West Coast, so I rarely get to collaborate in person. Even though I wasn’t on that client’s team, our Chief Digital Officer, Gerard LaFond, invited me to participate in the workshop, so I could experience working with a team and client “IRL.”
While that experience was particularly special, every time I got to work with my colleagues, it created a summer internship experience I know I won’t soon forget. Everyone at Hoffman is incredibly kind, knowledgeable and happy to help. Plus, since the agency puts so much effort into building a strong company culture and internship program, there’s a fantastic sense of camaraderie that means you never feel like you’re being left on your own.
Public relations moves fast — faster than school often prepares you for. I thought balancing schoolwork and teaching would prepare me for balancing clients, but it’s a whole other beast. When I find myself feeling a little frantic, I remember that my manager, Jess, told me that it’s always best to slow down a little and over communicate. It’s important to work quickly, but it’s more important to be correct. At school, we’re often encouraged to figure things out one our own. At an agency, though, you’re surrounded by people who have more knowledge and are invaluable resources. So, use your resources and connect with your colleagues.
For anyone just starting a career in tech PR: congrats, you made it! It’s a wide, wonderful world of more information than you ever thought was possible to know. Take a second to breathe. Slow down a little to ask the clarifying question, do the extra final check and give everything a little extra polish. The knowledge will come, and even though it might feel overwhelming right now, it’ll all look better in the rearview.
